My Rant on Fender Twin Reverbs...

[mistersully]

Originally Posted by tlbonehead

you are making my point for me. Thank you.

what point?

that twins are an amp designed to stay clean at loud volumes?... well there's a revolutionary bit of knowledge

[tlbonehead]

Originally Posted by mistersully

what point?

that twins are an amp designed to stay clean at loud volumes?... well there's a revolutionary bit of knowledge

exactly. So why do people try to make the claim that they are a "do-it-all" amp?

[wagdog]

My twin has a volume knob.

I use it.

It sounds, well, spectacular.

So there.

[tlbonehead]

Originally Posted by wagdog

My twin has a volume knob.

I use it.

It sounds, well, spectacular.

So there.

well there ya go. So if I want a Recto or SLO tone w/o pedals I should get a Twin Reverb?

[photon9]

 

Originally Posted by Kap'n

Fixed.

 

My bad, for some reason I thought silverface twins were around 85 watts. Either way, it helps a lot to use 2 power tubes instead of 4, and the master volume is wonderful when you get it dialed in.

[wagdog]

 

well there ya go. So if I want a Recto or SLO tone w/o pedals I should get a Twin Reverb?

 

 

Lol. No. But you know that :poke:

[PurpleTrails]

 

My bad, for some reason I thought silverface twins were around 85 watts. Either way, it helps a lot to use 2 power tubes instead of 4, and the master volume is wonderful when you get it dialed in.

 

 

It depends on the version. The early ones (67-68 models, I think) are 85 watts. The ones until around 79 are 100 watts (I have one from 72), but with slightly different topologies at different points in time. The late 70s-early 80s ones are 135 watts, I believe, and use an ultralinear output circuit. Then there are the evil twins from the mid-90s.

[tlbonehead]

Lol. No. But you know that :poke:

Yes I do. But some of the defensive here seem to think if you can't find your desired tone with a Twin, you are an amp-dialing idiot.

[mistersully]

 

exactly. So why do people try to make the claim that they are a "do-it-all" amp?

 

 

dude... you seem stuck on getting a point across where nobody is disagreeing with you

 

op said when he hears bands use them, they don't sound good.... well that's the user's fault... it might take a pedal to get a decent overdrive at lower volumes but it can be done

 

nobody is saying twins have a natural overdrive at low volumes... everyone knows they don't... so what the hell are you going on about?

 

just because an amp might not suit you doesn't make it {censored}

[tlbonehead]

dude... you seem stuck on getting a point across where nobody is disagreeing with you op said when he hears bands use them, they don't sound good.... well that's the user's fault... it might take a pedal to get a decent overdrive at lower volumes but it can be done nobody is saying twins have a natural overdrive at low volumes ... everyone knows they don't... so what the hell are you going on about? just because an amp might not suit you doesn't make it {censored}

I'm not insinuating that they are crappy amps at all. Just that there are much better choices for some tones and genres. On their own, clean to slight crunch is where they live. Many people do not want to settle for pedal overdrive/distortion as their main core tone. Many posts have stated, "if you can't get YOUR tone with a Twin, it is user error". And that simply isn't a blanket statement that can be made.

[Help!I'maRock!]

 

Many people do not want to settle for pedal overdrive/distortion as their main core tone.

 

 

you say that as though they are inferior. maybe 40 years ago, but not anymore.

[tlbonehead]

you say that as though they are inferior. maybe 40 years ago, but not anymore.

I disagree. And some of the most sought after pedals are copies of pedals from 30-40 years ago.

[Help!I'maRock!]

 

I disagree. And some of the most sought after pedals are copies of pedals from 30-40 years ago.

 

 

the most sought after pedals were not designed with the twin in mind. today's pedal designs use the Fender platform as a clean base tone, and then provide their particular flavor on top of that. a tubescreamer or RAT clone generally isn't going to cut it with that amp. but there are far better pedals than those.

[wagdog]

To throw another point out there; I have found, in general, cover band guitarists tend to play w/too much overdrive/gain/distortion/whatever. When I have to hear the vocals to figure out what song is being played, someone has dialed in a bit too much crunch.

 

Anyway, I have a twin. It's loud, really loud. And it's clean, well, clean as in it sounds like a twin and doesn't break-up. I happen to really like that tone. It isn't for everyone and certainly isn't for every type of music. I use a tubescreamer w/it when I want some crunch. And, fwiw, when I play out, it stays home as most of my gigs these days don't require that kind of volume.

 

Here it is, at pleasing room volume

 

[video=youtube;aIgYHhu8cHY]

[tlbonehead]

the most sought after pedals were not designed with the twin in mind. today's pedal designs use the Fender platform as a clean base tone, and then provide their particular flavor on top of that. a tubescreamer or RAT clone generally isn't going to cut it with that amp. but there are far better pedals than those.

I've bought and sold a number of high dollar overdrive/distortion pedals/preamps. Just never found anything that can really take the place of a good overdriven tube amp. I use pedals in front as flavoring/seasoning, not as a core tone.

[Angry Tele]

 

Oh yeah and pop out those middle tubes! Drops it to about 30 watts, much more manageable.

 

 

what I do with my twin is take out v1 (I only use the vibrato channel) this strengthenes the singal going into v2 (both channels leak into each other ohterwise), then replace v2 with 12ay7 for less preamp gain, then replace PI 12atz w 12zx7.

 

the result is lower volume needed for the sweet spot, and at home I can play it on 3-4 and not blow my cats head off. I cant even have my tweed delux past 2 at home, and thats only 12 watts.

 

Love this mod for the twin, very user freindly now.

 

for dirt a good old Rat pedal works great with Twins. Zendrive is another one. Lots of good pedals out there. CMATMODS Browine is another one...

[Doctor Morbius]

All Silverface Twin Reverbs were 100 watts until they came out with the ultralinear power supply. With the incorporation of the UL transformer they became 130ish watts. Blackface and Reissue Twin Reverbs are 85 watts.

 

EDIT: And there is absolutely nothing wrong with a Twin with the UL transformer. They don't command as much $ because they aren't easily modified to blackface specs. That's it. It's not like they have lepercy or anything.

[xrleroyx]

Can it do metal?

[GreaserMatt]

yes

[Vexed]

As far as the OP is concerned, sounds like user error to me.

[MatthewTKK]

Here in Australia the pre-80s Fender gear is harder to come by and expensive. I saw a 72 Twin listed locally - which is RARE - and thought, oh well, I may never play another one so I will go and check it out. Big mistake. It's cluttering up my living room now.

[wagdog]

^^^ nice looking setup... can almost hear the kkrrang halfway 'round the world!

[MatthewTKK]

Let's just say the bridge pickup doesn't see a lot of action. Actually my Musicmaster is hogging the playtime these days.

[Doctor Morbius]

Here in Australia the pre-80s Fender gear is harder to come by and expensive. I saw a 72 Twin listed locally - which is RARE - and thought, oh well, I may never play another one so I will go and check it out. Big mistake. It's cluttering up my living room now.

That appears to be in great shape. In fact, it looks almost new. I bet it sounds terrible and ear piercing though.

[Angry Tele]

you guys would love my settings: bass 0, mids 0, treble 12. Sounds just like Don Rich